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SC opens doors of Sabarimala Temple to women of all age groups

New Delhi, Sep 28 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Friday removed all restrictions imposed by Sabarimala Temple with regard to entry of women between the ages of 10 to 50. While pronouncing the order Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra said that the ban in place violated constitutional principles and that women’s rights cannot be subverted as they are in no way less than men. On one hand, women are worshipped as Goddesses, but there are restrictions on the other hand, said CJI Misra while reading the judgement. “Relationship with God can’t be defined by biological or physiological factors,” he added. The verdict was pronounced by the bench presided by CJI Dipak Misra and comprising Justices Rohinton Nariman, AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra, in which Justice Malhotra had a dissenting view. As per norms prescribed by the temple board menstruating women were prohibited from visiting the premises. The rules which mandate the ban are listed in the Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Rules of 1965. The petition challenging the ban was filed in the Apex Court by Indian Young Lawyers Association over a decade ago in 2006, alleging that the rule violates the freedom to follow and propagate religion, listed in Article 25 of the Indian Constitution.